


The Gifted And The Strange

by jesuislenerd



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, I can’t tag for shit, Magic AU, because long haired Pidge is my weakness, kind of loosely based off Miss Peregrine’s home for peculiar children but not really, lance and Pidge are best friends, lotor is a little shit, pidge has long hair, pidge is done with lances bullshit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 21:03:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15894096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesuislenerd/pseuds/jesuislenerd
Summary: Pidge, a young student at the Eastern School For The Gifted And The Strange is living her life as normally as one with telekinesis can, when an unexpected offer of peace brings more danger and drama into her life than she could ever imagine.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Important to note: Pidge is 16, Lance, Hunk, and Keith, are 17, Shiro and Matt are 19, Allura is 18, and Lotor is 19.

 

3 years ago

Pidge blinked blearily and opened her eyes to the harsh morning sunlight, wrapping her blanket around her as she rolled over onto her back. The first thing she noticed was that her desk seemed to be bigger than it usually was. And it also appeared to be glowing slightly purple.

Dismissing this as morning grogginess, she rubbed her eyes, sitting up to put on her glasses, and, upon second inspection, noticed that her desk was floating, as well as her mountain of dirty clothes (hovering a foot above the chair she always piled them on), her mug of coffee that she never finished, and her phone, static playing across the screen.

Incredibly alarmed by this, she leaped out of bed, and attempted to pull down her desk, eventually slipping on a sock that had fallen off her levitating pile and hitting her head on the corner of her bed. Now fully panicking and slightly dizzy, she scrambled backwards on all fours until she reached her door to yank it open and yell down the stairs.

“Mom! Dad!”

Her parent’s worried faces appeared at the base of the stairs.

“Katie? What’s the matter?”Her father called.

“I- I just,” She pulled her door shut and leaned against it, breathing heavily. “I, there are, things, things in my room, floating, my stuff is floating!”

“Floating?” Her mother asked, coming up the stairs and standing next to her daughter. “Sweetie, what happened to your head? It’s bleeding!”

“I, I fell. I was trying to get my desk down.”

Her father opened the door, starting at his daughter’s levitating possessions. As soon as he stepped inside, the floating things crashed down, the glow disappearing, leaving Pidge’s room looking like a whirlwind had hit it.

“Katie, let’s get you downstairs and let’s get some ice for your head. We have some things to tell you.” Her mother, a frown creasing her face, wrapped an arm around Pidge’s shaking figure and guided her downstairs.

~

“Aw, I’m bored.” Lance spun around on his piano stool and faced his best friend Hunk, a broad boy with dark skin and sparkling brown eyes. “I wish someone new would join here. It’d be nice to see other faces. There’s so few of us here anyway, I’ve practically dated most of the girls here.”

“Except Allura. Bro, she shuts you down every time.”

Lance scowled at him. “We don’t talk about that, Hunk.”

“You know, this school once had a population of over 500.” Hunk replied with a sad smile. “There were so many different abilities, so many people. Then they had the Great Hunt, and there’s so few magical families left.”

Lance sighed, then looked up. “Hey, didn’t you say-”

He was cut off by the door to the music room swinging open and a fellow student of his, Matt Holt, charging in.

“Guys. Guys. Guys.” He panted, clutching at his side. “My sister’s on her way here. She’s joining the school!”

 

~

“Katie. Remember when your brother was sent to boarding school a couple of years ago?” Pidge’s mother sat opposite her on the sofa, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea.

Pidge nodded, pressing the ice pack to the rapidly swelling bruise on the corner of her forehead.

“Well, it was because of what has just happened to you. It happened to him too. What you just saw was your first Projection.”

“Projection?”

“Yes. It’s the first showing of your abilities. You and your brother both have magical… Abilities, of some kind. We don’t know much about them, everything’s a big secret at the moment. But he was sent to a school in the countryside so he could be safe from people who would want to do him harm.”

“So people want to hurt him? And me?” Pidge’s bottom lip trembled.

“It’s ok. You don’t have to go to the school. We can keep you safe at home-”

Pidge’s mother was cut off as a loud knock on the door sounded. She got up, fixing her hair, and nodded at her daughter reassuringly.

“That’ll be someone from the school. I’m sorry sweetie, but you have to make a decision. You don’t have to go, but it’ll be safer.”

She looked at her daughter expectantly.

“I- I’ll go.” Kate felt her eyes burn with tears, as her mother smiled at her proudly.

“I knew you’d make the right decision, Katie.” She replied, before walking down the hall and opening the door. Katie overheard snippets of a hushed conversation, then footsteps receding into the distance as her mother reappeared in the doorway.

“You have to go now.” She smiled at her daughter, her eyes shining with tears.

“N-Now?” Pidge’s eyes widened in shock.

“Yes. I’ll go and pack your favourite clothes and some things for you, and you have to get dressed and go talk to the lady outside for me, okay?” She handed a bundle of clothes to her daughter, and tucked her long, messy brown hair behind her ear. “I’m so proud of you.”

Kate let the tears she had been holding back spill as she hugged her mom tightly.

“I’m gonna miss you mom.” She choked out.

“It’s ok. I get to see you now and again. Be brave for me, okay?”

“Okay.”

~

“What do you mean, she’s coming here?” Lance cried incredulously.

“My sister had her first Projection!” Matt yelled, and grabbed Lance’s hands, swinging him around in a circle. Lance laughed giddily, and Matt stumbled backwards, clutching his head.

“Watch that voice man.” He glared at Lance and massaged his temples.

“Sorry. You know I haven’t been trained properly.” Lance rubbed his face sheepishly.

Matt flapped his hand. “It’s ok.”

“Wait, so is your sister coming here right now?” Hunk asked Matt.

“Yes!” Matt cried.

“Oh my God!” Hunk squealed, and temporarily flickered, leaving only his clothes visible for a few seconds.

Lance tapped him. “Uh. Dude. You’ve gone, you know.”

“Oh.” Hunk looked at his seemingly empty shirt sleeves and slowly materialised into visibility again. “Thanks man.”

~

Pidge coughed loudly to break the chilly atmosphere in the carriage. It was black on the outside, and the inside was covered in red velvet, lit up by two candles dangling from the ceiling. The one window was closed and obscured behind a blackout blind.

“Hey, uh. Can we open a window or something? It’s really warm.” Pidge asked the lady sitting opposite her.

“I’m afraid not.” The lady replied. She didn’t elaborate. Her dark hair was brushed back into a bun and her face was angular and defined.

“Can you at least tell me where I’m going?” She asked incredulously. “I literally have no idea what’s going on, I could be getting kidnapped right now.”

“I can’t tell you where we’re going. You’re not being kidnapped.”

Pidge decided to be quiet during the rest of the journey. After about an hour and a half, the carriage rumbled to a stop and the door swung open. The lady stepped out first, then offered Pidge her arm so that, considering her miniscule height, she wouldn’t fall.

Pidge looked up at the massive building in front of her. It appeared to be a huge manor with gardens and small buildings littered around it. Most of the windows were dark and shadowy, obscured by faded, dusty curtains, but some of the windows were alight with a warm glow, as if there was a fire burning behind each one.

Pidge closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, trying to fight off a raging headache. When she opened her eyes at last, and lifted her head, the massive oak door was open and a small crowd of people was standing at the entrance. One figure in particular pushed its way to the front and ran to her, stopping just short of smacking into her face. She managed to catch a glimpse of her brother’s messy brown hair, round rimmed glasses and big eyes before she was tackled in a hug that had waited three years to happen.

Eventually, after a particularly emotional reunion and three screaming matches (mostly good natured ones) with her brother later, Pidge was seated at a round table with about 16 other boys and girls. There were two people standing by a crackling fireplace- a tall man with a magnificent moustache and a shorter one with a white beard and tired eyes.

Pidge was sat between her brother and another boy, who was abnormally tall with evenly tanned caramel skin, brown hair in a buzz cut and startlingly blue eyes. The others all appeared to be normal, other than very pretty girl with scales all over her face and a boy who appeared purple, but on closer inspection, had tiny purple ants crawling all over him and into and out of his mouth and ears. Slightly disturbed by the latter, Pidge turned away and bit her lip.

Just then, the blue eyed boy nudged her with a smile.

“Nice to meet you, by the way, I’m Lance.” He said.

Pidge, upon hearing this voice, was suddenly grasped by a wave of dizziness and disconnection from reality. She rubbed her eyes and blinked to clear her head, before looking up at him, confused.

“What?” She asked. “Sorry, I, uh. I didn’t catch that.”

The boy smiled, his eyes twinkling, and retrieved a pencil from his pocket, scribbling something down on a scrap of paper.

Sorry. My voice tends to have that effect on people, I haven’t been fully trained yet. It takes a couple of days to get used to it, sorry. I’m Lance.

“Right. It’s ok.” She replied, still reeling from the initial effect. “Wait. Your voice makes people feel… funny?”

Lance grinned and scribbled down something.

Block your ears.

Pidge complied, and then Lance hummed a note. At once, everyone at the table bent over, clapping their hands over their ears and shouting.

“LANCE!” One of them yelled. Pidge, having unblocked her ears, heard shouts of “What the hell dude” “we’ve been over this” “for God’s sake stop” and, simply, “ughhh”. Just then, the bearded man walked over to the table, and everyone fell silent. He looked over at Pidge’s companion sternly.

“Lance. Not at the table.” He said gently, but yet with such sense of authority, Lance couldn’t disobey.

“Sorry.” He mumbled, looking towards his feet.

“Anyway. We haven’t had a chance to introduce ourselves,” said the man. “This is the Eastern School For The Gifted And The Strange. I’m the headmaster, Sir Alfor, and this is my colleague, Sir Coran. Everyone here has an, ability, shall we call it, and they are sent here to be protected and taught to refine and use their powers.”

Pidge nodded, slightly overwhelmed.

“Why don’t we go around the table and introduce ourselves?” Asked Coran, the man with the splendid ginger moustache. “Then all of you can get to your lessons. I’ll come and collect you in a minute or so. I think.”

“What?” Pidge whispered to her brother.

Matt grinned. “Coran can manipulate time. He can turn it back for himself and basically be in two places at once, as long as he has his watch. Look.” He pointed to Coran, who was swinging a pocket watch on a chain around his hand.

“Wow.” Pidge muttered in awe. Just then, a voice interrupted her.

“Sure. I’ll start.” The voice had come from a good-looking Asian boy with hair cropped at the sides and messy on the top.“I’m Shiro. I’m16, and I can pass through solid materials when I choose to.” He flashed Pidge a smile and she blushed slightly.

The boy next to him looked a lot like him, with long black hair that hung over his face and a sullen expression. “I’m Keith. I can set myself on fire. I’m 14.” He didn’t smile or acknowledge the others.

Next was the boy covered in ants. “I’m Rolo. As you can probably see, my ability is… uh. Ants. As in, they live all over me and in me.”

“Ew.” Pidge whispered to Matt. Her brother laughed quietly in reply.

And so the circle went around until it reached her new friend Lance.

“You already know my name, and I’m pretty sure you have a vague idea of what my abilities are.” He shrugged indifferently. “But I’ll tell you again. I have a voice that can affect people’s minds. Currently I can’t do much other than stun people, but I’m working on temporary paralysis and hypnosis. It’s not going great.”

“And now tell us about yourself, Katie.” Sir Alfor gestured towards her with a smile.

“Uh.” She blinked a few times, completely lost. “I’m Katie. I mean you just said that, but uh. Yeah. I’m 13. I woke up this morning and my stuff was floating. I assume I have the same power as my brother. Like, telekinesis. Which is pretty cool. But uh. Yeah?”

Just then, she was saved from further questioning by Coran, leaping up and waving his watch around.

“My goodness! Look at the time! I should be here any minute now. In..” He peered at his watch closely. “3…2…1…”

Right on his cue, the door swung open, and an exact copy of himself strolled in, tipping his odd hat to the first Coran, and turning to look at the people around the table.

“Come on now, all of you. Time for lessons. Lance, you’re free now. Why don’t you give Katie a tour?”

“Sure” Replied Lance, sending Katie reeling from his voice yet again.

Matt gave her a quick backwards hug and left with the others, giving her a reassuring thumbs up before he disappeared into the corridor. Coran tossed Lance a small phial full of a blue metallic liquid, turned on his heel, and followed the children out of the room.

Lance held it out to Katie and mimed drinking. She frowned.

“What will it do to me?” She asked him, suspicious of the odd looking contents of the phial.

He rolled his eyes, tapped his chest, mined talking, pointed at her, then gave her a thumbs up.

She frowned, then realised what he was saying. “Oh, so it’ll make me ok with your voice?”

He nodded vigorously, and Katie tipped the liquid into her mouth, grimacing at the bitter taste.

“It makes my voice bearable for the first few days, until your system’s used to it. Soon I’ll be trained, and I won’t need it when I meet new people.” Lance rambled with a grin.

Katie raised an eyebrow at him. “How about a quick explanation of where I am, who all these people are, and pretty much everything else first?”

“Ok.”

~

About an hour later, the two were wandering through the gardens behind the mansion, surrounded by odd plants such as floating, purple, tomatoes attached to the ground by green strings, or upside down trees.

“So that’s it.” Lance peered at Katie, attempting to gauge whether or not she was confused by his fast moving and slightly overwhelming tour. He concluded, after seeing her look around at the plants with a smile, that she was fine.

“Thanks for showing me around.” She stopped walking for a second to grab a floating tomato, and turned around to wave it at him. “Is this edible?”

“Sure, but they aren’t really my cup of tea. Too sweet.” He replied, and Katie took a bite out of the fruit.

“Hm. I get what you mean.” She pondered for a moment. “They’re nice though.”

Lance shrugged. “You do you. Hey, we’ll be late to dinner. We should get back before matron is biting up my arse.”

“Ew.” Pidge laughed, but followed him back into the building, munching on her purple fruits (she’d taken a few for the road). “Hey Lance?”

“Yello.”

“Why are those dark corridors marked in blue?” She asked, pointing at a shadowy, cobwebbed corridor.

“Oh, crap. I should have told you about those.” He smacked his forehead. “Yeah. Stay away from the blue corridors.”

“Why?”

“When this school was attacked 100 years ago, a curse was placed on it, and it’s still in the process of being fixed. We’re making slow progress, but in 50 years or so, the whole school should be safe.”

“Woah, woah, woah.” Pidge waved her arms. “First off, what kind of curse? Second, I thought this school was safe? That’s why I was sent here.”

“Woah.” Lance held out his hands. “Don’t freak out.”

“I’m freaking out here! I mean the whole point of me being send here was so th-” She was cut off by a plant pot in the corner suddenly glowing purple and flying forwards straight into her face.

“Are you ok?!” Lance jumped forwards and moved the plant pot aside.

Pidge looked at her cracked glasses and checked her nose for blood. Luckily there was only a bit.

“I’m ok, but what the hell just happened?”

“When you’re untrained, your powers link to you emotions. Take Keith for example. He’s a hothead, so when he got here he got pissed off at me and accidentally set himself on fire. It was kinda funny, actually.”

“Wh- what?” Pidge frowned at him, unimpressed. “Never mind. Please go back to what the hell this curse is.”

Lance sighed. “The curse is, basically, whoever goes into those corridors, will get lost, have hallucinations, and just generally get affected badly. And this school is safe. The reason we were attacked was because of a civil war between the Strange communities of east and west. That was 100 years ago. Trust me, you’re safe here.”

“Alright.” She shrugged. “I trust you.”

“Now come on.” Lance tugged her sleeve. “I don’t want to be late for dinner. It’s chilli day.”

Pidge smiled and followed Lance down the corridor at a run.


	2. Chapter 1

“Hey, have you seen Pidgeon?” Lance tapped Hunk on the shoulder.

Hunk shrugged. “I dunno. She’s still pretty mad at you, ergo she’s also mad at me. I did nothing wrong.”

Lance sighed and folded his arms. “Could you uh. Do a bit of… scouting?”

Hunk rolled his eyes. “Lance, no. Go and find her yourself.”

“But she doesn’t want to talk to either of us. And if she can’t see you, she doesn’t know you’re there.”

“Lance, I’m not stripping naked to find her.”

“Please?” He implored.

“No.”

“Remember the chicken nuggets?” Lance raised an eyebrow at his friend.

“I swear, you need to stop bringing that up. I ate your chicken nuggets once, and forgot to buy you more. Big deal. Besides, I’ve already paid you back for that. Remember? You asked me to climb the spiky tree butt naked to get you some fruit for your face mask without the Coran noticing. I mean, dude. That hurt a lot.”

“But,” Lance reasoned. “You paid me back for eating them. This favour’s for the second offence, forgetting to buy more.”

“Ughhh.” Hunk groaned. “Fine. Just cause I’m nice.”

“Thanks babes. I love you!” Lance hugged his best friend.

“Nuh huh.” Hunk pushed him off. “Don’t try to win me over. I’m annoyed.”

Lance smiled, and Hunk slowly turned invisible, before removing his clothes and piling them on the floor.

“This makes me so uncomfortable.” Hunk’s voice materialised from the seemingly empty space, before the door opened and closed.

A few minutes of searching later, Hunk found Katie sitting on a beanbag in the library. He walked up to her slowly, checking it was her, then turned and walked away. He wasn’t even halfway to the door before he was hit in the side of the head by a heavy book. He staggered and looked back at Pidge, rubbing his head.

“How the hell did you know I was here?” He asked, deciding to remain invisible for the sake of his friend’s innocence.

Pidge pointed to his feet. “The fur rug was moving under your feet. I can see where the dents are, ergo I can see where you’re standing.”

“Damn, you’re clever.” Hunk sighed.

“Why are you here? If Lance sent you, which he probably did-”

“He did.” Hunk cut over her.

“Chicken nugget incident?” She asked.

“Chicken nugget incident.” Hunk confirmed.

“Anyway, tell Lance I’m not mad at him and I just want him to leave me alone.” She replied, and turned back to her book, swishing her brown ponytail over one shoulder. “Oh, and if you see Matt or Shiro on your travels, tell them to tone down the PDA by like, 300%. The idea of my brother boning someone is incredibly disturbing.”

“Uhh… Sure. I’ll mention it.” Hunk turned to walk away, but paused and turned back. “Hey, Katie-cat.”

Pidge nearly jumped out of her skin, and clutched at her chest. “Jesus, Hunk. You nearly killed me. I though you’d left.”

“Sorry. I was gonna ask, why are you mad at Lance? And me as well since you’re always mad at me whenever Lance screws up.” Hunk asked her.

“I’m not mad at him.” She sighed. “I’m just… irritated. He’s an irritating person.”

“What’d he do?”

“Just… I dunno. Irritating stuff.”

Hunk smirked. “Does this have something to do with how he got back with Nyma? Maybe something to do with that little secret crush you have on him?”

Pidge threw a shoe at him, but missed by about 5 metres, owing to the fact she couldn’t see him. “I don’t have a secret crush on him! He’s annoying and cocky and full of himself and a massive bastard sometimes.” She yelled.

“Sorry.” Hunk laughed.

“Please trot off on your way now.” She flapped a hand at him. “I don’t like the image of you standing there with your dick hanging out, invisible or not.”

“Katie!”

“What? I’m legal now. I turned 16 like a month ago.” Katie shrugged.

“Not the point. And I’ll have you know, I’m covering it up.” Hunk rolled his eyes but left the room.

“Thank you for supplying me with that piece of information. I’ll treasure it.”

A few minutes later, Hunk reappeared, fully clothed and visible, and sat down next to her.

“What do you want now?” Katie sighed, closing her book and setting it aside.

“Lance still thinks you’re mad at him. That’s not the reason I’m here though.” Hunk hurried to amend his sentence before Pidge got the wrong idea.

“And what’s said reason?”

Hunk shrugged. “Dunno.”

“Look, Hunk. I’m not sad, or mad, or anything. I just want some Me time.”

Hunk raised an eyebrow, and picked up her book. “So that’s why you’re reading this?”

“Ugh. Look, it’s a good book. You know it’s one of the ones I always re-read.”

“Yeah, when you’re angsting about something irrelevant. Like how Lance got back with Nyma, who I hear, is only in it for the pull.”

“I’m not angry that bitch got with him!” Pidge yelled. “Wait, only in it for the pull?”

“Yep. At least that’s what she said to someone before making out with him.”

“She cheated on him? With who?”

“Can’t say. Sworn to secrecy.” Hunk tapped his nose.

“Ugh, Lance is so stupid. He’s just weak in front of pretty girls. Him and Nyma have been so off and on recently, they’re like a fucking light switch.” She lifted her arm and a heavy book flew off the shelf, out the door and around the corner, before Hunk heard a thump, a muffled yell, and a girl’s voice.

Hunk blinked. “How did you know it was him?”

“Oh please. I could recognise that boy’s obnoxious voice from a mile away.”

Hunk smiled. “Not mad at him, huh?”

Pidge glared at him, and the heavy book zoomed back inside before smacking Hunk upside the head. He grimaced and replaced he book on the shelf where it came from.

“I was asking for that.” He admitted reluctantly.

Pidge shrugged, hearing raised voices outside the library. “Hear that?” She asked Hunk.

“Let’s go.” Hunk didn’t need to ask twice. The two of them stood up and sneaked over to the door, pressing their backs against the wall next to it to eavesdrop on the conversation.

“Look, Lance, I’m supposed to be your girlfriend!” Nyma’s voice.

“Yeah! I just don’t get what I’ve done wrong!” Lance snapped back.

“You always prioritise other things, and you always fuck me off to go hang with your friends.” Nyma’s drew out the last word sarcastically.

“What?” Lance cried. “I never-“

“Not to mention.” Nyma cut over him pointedly. “You never take anything seriously. Ever! Like, any relationship you’re ever in will end up like this, because you can’t. Fucking. Commit.”

Pidge and Hunk nodded at each other in agreement, before returning their ears to the door.

“Hey, that’s not fair, ok? I can commit, I just-“

“What? You just what? You don’t like me enough? Is that it?”

Lance didn’t reply.

“Wow. Alright.” Nyma’s voice lowered, and it sounded like she was on the verge of tears. “Fine. Just don’t come running back to me.”

Pidge and Hunk looked at each other in shock. Usually Nyma and Lance’s breakups were much milder, not to mention that Lance had basically just told Nyma he didn’t like her.

Just then, the door of the library began to swing open, and Pidge and Hunk scrambled away as if it had burnt them, landing ungracefully on the floor and assuming a ridiculous reclining pose. Lance, who had just entered the library, looked at them in confusion.

“What are you two doing?” He asked.

“Nothing.” Replied the two in unison.

“Just reclining.” Added Pidge.

Hunk nodded. “Yeah, reclining. Like Romans, you know.”

“Reclining. Right.” Lance raised an eyebrow. “You guys weren’t listening at the door, were you?”

“No.” Replied both of them.

“Well, me and Nyma are done. For good this time.”

“Yeah, that’s what you said the past 8 times.” Hunk sighed at his friend. “I’m sorry bro, not to be judgy or anything, but you and Nyma just weren’t good together. It wasn’t working.”

“Yeah.” Pidge added. “Besides, apparently at the last party she m- oof!” She was cut off by Hunk elbowing her hard in the belly.

“She what?” Lance asked.

“She m... uhh... she mmmight have said.... uhhh?” Hunk watched Pidge suffer as she tried to find the right words. “She uh, might have said she had like, uh... an STI or something. Like mouth herpes.” She looked at Hunk, and shrugged in a ‘I don’t know’ way.

“Mouth herpes?” Lance raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah. Like, maybe. She might have just said it.” Hunk chipped in.

“Shit.” Lance bit his lip. “Are you sure? Cause I really don’t want mouth herpes on my d-“

“Too much information!” Pidge cried, waving her hands around before Lance had a chance to finish his sentence.

“So, Pidge-podge.” Lance looked at her, and she glared back. “Does this mean we’re good?”

“Maybe.” She replied, poorly hiding a smile. “Only if you escort me back to my room and offer me, uhm, the good banter.” She made a small flourish with her hand on the last two words.

Lance smiled back at her, and offered her his arm. “My lady.”

She took it and followed him to the door, looking back at Hunk with a winner face.

“You sly bitch.” Hunk mouthed at her with a laugh.

She smirked and stuck her tongue out at him with a wink, before leaving the library. Hunk shook his head and turned to the bookshelves, looking for something to read.

~~

“Heard a new kid’s visiting our school. For like a week or so.” Hunk mumbled around a chicken leg from the Chinese place in the village nearby. He licked the sauce off his fingers and regarded the other two with curiosity. “Apparently he’s Zarkon’s son.”

Pidge and Lance stared at him, wide eyed. Zarkon was the headmaster of the Western School for the Gifted and Strange- sworn enemy to their school, and the one who had cursed it during the Great War. He had also experimented with something called deep magic- magic based around the soul of the user, the most dangerous strand of magic, and had ended up creating a tear in his school that almost destroyed it.

“Why would Zarkon’s son be coming to our school? What business does he have here?” Lance asked, waving a chicken leg around and accidentally dripping sauce onto Pidge’s bed. “Shit, sorry.” He tried to wipe it off but failed miserably.

“Ewww, Lance. My bed!” Pidge smacked the back of his head with a book. “But seriously, why is Zarkon sending his son over here? It’s like he wants the kid to die.”

“I don’t know, but apparently it’s he beginning of peace between the two schools, apparently.”

“Peace?” Lance asked.

“Yeah. I heard that Lotor made the decision himself, cause Zarkon’s got really sick and he’s like, on his deathbed.” Hunk lowered his voice towards the end, even though it was just the three of them in the room.

“Who did you hear this from?” Pidge asked, not buying into it without proof.

“I was getting coffee and I heard the teachers talking about it in their special corner.” Hunk was known for being the main host of all the school’s gossip. He knew everything about everyone, and it was generally taken for granted that if you heard something from Hunk, it was true.

“Well, what do you know. Peace after 100 years of unconfirmed peace.” Lance laughed, and picked up a chunk of sweet and sour chicken with his fork.

“Lance, if you drop that on my bed, I will fling you out of the window without having to stand up.” Pidge glared at him.

Lance rolled his eyes, then proceeded to shove the entire chunk of chicken into his mouth without making a mess, staring at Pidge the whole time.

“You’re disgusting.” Pidge informed him.

“You love it.” Lance dropped her a wink. Pidge felt her cheeks heat up, but kept the grin off her face.

“Dream on.” She muttered.

~~

“Lance, move. I can’t see past you, you’re too tall.” Pidge complained.

Lance sighed. “Just climb on my back.” He crouched down and Pidge leaped onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and arms around his neck so she could see over the gaggle of students crowded around the front door. They were all watching the black carriage pulling up outside the mansion. The carriage that was bringing the son of Sir Alfor’s sworn enemy up until now, a boy called Lotor.

The carriage door slid open, and a tall boy with long, platinum blonde hair stepped out. Everything about him radiated wealth and style, from his long black overcoat and brass buttons to his shiny shoes and annoyingly perfect hair.

“He’s a bit handsome, isn’t he?” Pidge heard Allura whispering to Romelle.

“Absolutely.” Romelle replied, fanning herself with her hand.

“He’s like a long-haired Draco Malfoy.” Nyma whispered to both girls.

“A who?” Allura asked Nyma, puzzles.

Nyma sighed. “Doesn’t matter. Forgot you two grew up here.”

Allura shrugged, and the three of them presently returned to ogling the new arrival with big grins and fluttering eyelids.

Sir Alfor gracefully cut though the the three girls with a disapproving shake of his head and continued walking forwards to the boy. They shook hands and turned to the students in front of the huge oak doors.

“Students of the Eastern School For The Gifted And The Strange.” Alfor announced. “We now extend the hand of welcome to the son of Zarkon, headmaster of the Western School For The Gifted And The Strange, Lotor. In this we hope for a new era of peace between two warring magical communities, and a security that has not been provided to us in over 100 years.” He gestured towards Allura, beckoning her forwards. “This is my daughter, Allura.”

Allura stepped forwards and shook hands with Lotor.

“A pleasure to meet you, Allura.” Lotor flashed her a smile.

Allura looked as if she was going to faint, but somehow managed to keep her composure.

“Likewise. I hope for a long and prosperous alliance.” She smiled back at him.

“I don’t like him.” Lance whispered to Pidge, who was still clinging onto his back.

“Why, cause he’s cool and hot and has a posh accent and wears nice clothes and Allura likes him? Jealousy, thy name is Lance.” Pidge laughed from over his shoulders.

“Shut up Pidge. Yes, I’m jealous that he’s so... well put together, but it’s not that. I just don’t like him. I’m getting a weird vibe.”

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Yeah right.”

Alfor led the way for Lotor, Allura and the rest of the students to walk back into the castle, making polite conversation with their guest.

“So, Lotor, I trust your father and mother are well?” Alfor asked.

Lotor smiled. “They’re both in excellent health, Sir. And I hope for it to remain this way.”

In reality, Lotor’s father and mother were not in excellent health. They were both dead, lying in their bed with their throats cut, and Lotor was well aware of this. In fact, he had been the one to do it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter <3 I’ll try to update as soon as I can but I can’t make any promises

**Author's Note:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! I don’t write as much as I used to, so this is a good chance for me to rediscover AO3. Please leave a Kudos and a comment if you liked this!


End file.
